


to be strong

by kiholove



Series: kiho monthly [2]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: M/M, kiho monthly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-28 21:35:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13912659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiholove/pseuds/kiholove
Summary: It's time to leave behind the place they once called home.





	to be strong

After three long, brutal years of fighting, the war has taken a turn for the worse, and Kihyun knows he, and everyone else, have to finally accept the fact that they've really lost. They've lost their home, and they've lost it forever. 

The reinforcements of the highly-advanced extraterrestrial army had started arriving about a week ago, and what remains of Earth's resistance has been crumbling fast. Though the civilian population had been evacuated only a few months into the start of the fighting, the resistance has been struggling on the ground this entire time, their numbers dwindling down little by little until there's now just a few hundred resilient fighters left. And though there were a handful of times over the past three years when it seemed like they might actually have a chance at victory, at saving the Earth and defending their home, now, with another ten thousand alien ships to contend with, it's become a lost cause, and they all know it. 

It's time to retreat, to leave the Earth behind to its cruel fate and to join the rest of humanity up on the space stations, in search for a new planet to call home and on which to rebuild the world they once knew from scratch. 

And it's a terrible twist of fate, of course it is. It's _heartbreaking_ after all that they've been through, after everything that they've done, after everything that they've sacrificed. But what hurts Kihyun even more is how it's affecting Hoseok. 

Hoseok, who had been so brave and so courageous, so strong and so good. Hoseok, who had always fought right out on the front lines, doing everything he could to protect others and to bring down the enemy forces while taking as few lives as possible. Hoseok, who had stressed time and time again that they couldn't give up, that they had to fight for their home with everything they had. 

Hoseok, who had nearly died after shielding Kihyun from the blast of an extraterrestrial explosive. 

Kihyun still remembers how they had been caught in the middle of an open field, fallen onto the cold, rough, ground, and Hoseok had hugged Kihyun tight, curled his large, muscular body over Kihyun's and taken the brunt of the blinding, heated blast. Kihyun had only received some shallow burns and bruises from the impact, but Hoseok, his back had been scorched and shredded open, and his lung had collapsed, and yet he still managed to call for help, to make sure that Kihyun would make it to safety no matter what. 

That's the kind of person Hoseok is, and seeing him now, so wrecked and devastated, makes Kihyun feel swallowed up by despair, like he'll never be happy again. 

They're on the same escape pod together, and Hoseok is curled up into a little ball in the corner, leaning against the wall, blinking back tears and visibly shaking. His hair is dirty and his face is streaked with grime and his clothes are ripped and burned, caked with mud and sweat and dried blood. He's broken, and exhausted, and yet, Kihyun still thinks that Hoseok is so beautiful, the most beautiful thing in the universe. 

Kihyun quietly approaches Hoseok and drops down to his hands and knees, crawling to sit next to him on the dirty, metal floor. He knows that he doesn't look so great himself, just as battle-weary and battered as Hoseok is, but he hopes he can be of some support, hopes that he can be a source of strength in such a dark, desperate time. That's what they are to each other. Once friends and comrades and now, a reason to go on, someone to share the pain with, someone to find comfort in, physically, emotionally, every way possible. 

Kihyun leans back against the wall next to Hoseok and sighs. Hoseok doesn't look up, his gaze on the ship's floor and his eyes red-rimmed and wet. After a moment or two of silence, Kihyun slowly reaches over, takes Hoseok's face between his hands, and carefully turns Hoseok's head to face him. 

Hoseok's gaze shakes as he looks into Kihyun's eyes, and his lips part slightly, trembling, and right now, Kihyun knows that he has to be the strong one, he has to be solid steel. 

"Hoseok," he murmurs, not breaking eye contact as he squeezes Hoseok's cheeks affectionately, "look at me. Just keep your eyes on me. Stay with me. I'm right here." 

Hoseok doesn't respond, but he nods slightly, eyes not moving from Kihyun's as the ship rumbles to life around them and begins to take off. As they look at each other and Kihyun holds onto Hoseok's face, slowly stroking Hoseok's cheeks with his thumbs, Hoseok's tremors start to subside, and his eyes flutter, the tear tracks drying on his cheeks. 

The ship makes it out past the Earth's atmosphere, out into the void of space, and begins its journey to the space stations in nearby orbit. And Kihyun and Hoseok haven't moved an inch, haven't taken their eyes off of each other, Hoseok's breathing growing deep and steady, calm, and Kihyun feels a rush of relief. 

"It's going to be okay, hyung," Kihyun whispers, eyes darting around Hoseok's face before landing on his chapped, swollen lips, "We're all going to be okay." 

Kihyun leans forward and kisses Hoseok gently on the mouth, their eyes slipping closed simultaneously as their lips meet. They hold there together for one long, sweet moment, Kihyun pouring his entire heart into it, every word of comfort, every molecule of love, every ounce of strength that he can muster. 

When they finally separate, they keep their eyes closed and touch their foreheads together, lips ghosting each other's mouths, and Kihyun lowers his hands from Hoseok's cheeks, wraps his arms around Hoseok's shoulders, and pulls him into a firm embrace, gripping hard onto Hoseok's shoulder blades as Hoseok wraps his arms around Kihyun's waist, tightly, desperately. They hold each other for a long time, for so long that their fear and sorrow starts to feel distant, faded, far, far away, as far away as the home they're now leaving behind. 

Hoseok has always been so strong for him, has always protected him, and now, as they move forward into the new, uncertain future, Kihyun will do the same.

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is for round 1 of kiho monthly, filling the "sci-fi" theme!
> 
> if you're a monsta x or kiho fanfic writer interested in a fun fanfic writing challenge, please check out kiho monthly [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/kihomonthly/profile) and consider participating!
> 
> come find me on twitter @justiceforkiho


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